Acetylene-generator.



Z I i w J. HARRIS.-

ACETYLENE GENERATOR. v I APPLICATION FILED OCT- [2- |9|4-' 1 ,fifi'y fi fiw Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lv mamw;

J. HARRIS.

ACETYLENE GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. 1914.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' snare sane ientrnnr oration JOHN HARRIS, F CLEVELAND, OHK'O.

ACETYLENE-GENERATOE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that 1, JOHN HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to apparatus for generating" acetylene-gas of high pressure, such as is used with blow pipes for so-called autogenous welding; and has for its principal object to provide an apparatus of this character that is thoroughly safe and reliable, the same being provided with means whereby it is vented when the pressure therein becomes excessive, or when the generator is opened for the purpose of draining it, or for supplying it with water or carbid; the aforesaid means being auto matically operated by internal pressure, when the same becomes excessive, and also mechanically actuated prior to the opening of the generator for any of the aforesaid purposes. By thus being mechanically operated'every time the generator is opened, which occurs quite frequently, the venting means is kept in perfect working condition, and avoids the possibility of its refusing to operate by becoming stuck through inactivity, which is 'liable to be the case in safety devices that depend for their opera tion, exclusively, upon the rise of pressure within the generator, beyond a safe condition, v

A diaphragm is employed in carrying out the above objects, and in the event that the diaphragm becomes fractured, it is a further object of my. invention to provide. anarrangement whereby the gas thus liberated from the generator will be carried ofi Taking up a detailed desciiption of the invention by the use of reference characters,

Specification of Letters Patent.

stem 21 of the valve.

- sections of the 1 represents the generating chamber of the apparatus above which is supported, upon a neck 2, a carbid hopper 3.

' Following the usual construction of apparatus of this character, the generating chamber is provided with a filling pipe through which it may be supplied with water, and in the present instance the filling pipe is equipped with a valve 19 having an operating handle 18 that is secured to the The upper portion of the handle is of segmental formation, as shown at 20, and the arc of the segmental portion is concentric with the valve stem 21. When the handle 18 is in the position shown in full lines, the valve 19 is closed; but

when the handle is swung upward through substantially45", or into the position shown in dotted lines, the valve isopened.

It is essential that the apparatus be exhausted, prior to the opening of the valve 19, and mechanism for preventingthe operation of this valve until the apparatus has been exhausted, will now be described.

A vent valve shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, comprises upper and lower casing members and 36, the adjacent edges of which are each rovided with a horizontal I flange 37 and 38,. respectively. Between these flanges is securely clamped the periphery of a flexible diaphragm 39. The casing member 35 converges toward its upper end and terminates in a cylindrical neck 40 which has applied to it a cap 41, and threaded within the neck, and adapted to be covered by the cap 41, is a spring casing 42,

against the top wall of which bears the upper end of a coil spring 43. The lower end of thissprin surrounds a shank 44 of a yoke 45 that is ormed integral with a disk 46, from the underneath side of which de-' pends a central stud 47. By means of the stud 47, and the nut 48 applied thereto, there is clamped to the disk. 46, plate 49, diaphragm 39, and a valve member 50, hav; ing an annular pliable contact portion 51, preferably of rubber. The contact portion of the valve member is arranged to engage a seat 52 of corresponding shape, which is located centrally within the lower casing member 36, and is preferably formed by the .upperendof an internal tubular extension which projects from one side of the casing, and with which extensionis connected the ventpipe 53.

The valve member may be caused to Patented an rc ist-a Application and October 12, 1914. Serial No. 868,194. 4

4 ing the tension of theflspring 43 which is vided with a portion 55'for the application accomplished through the adjustment of the casing 42, that is threaded into the upper end of the neck 40, said casing 42 being pro- 1 of a wrench or other tool. The lower end ,of the casing member 36 terminates in an internally threaded boss 56 that has connection, through, the pipe 57,- with the generating chamber 1. Now, therefore, when the pressure within the generating chamber exceeds that of the tension of the spring 43 the diaphragm 39 will be elevated to remove the valve member from its seat and allow a quantity of gas to escape through the vent pipe 53. j v

Extending through the yoke 45 is an eccentric upon the shaft 61, journaled in the opposed walls of the upper casing member 35, the same being provided with a suitable packing gland 62 where it passes through the wall of said casinglmember. 1 Applied to the end of the shaft 61, beyond the packing gland 62, is an arm 63 which= has it free end connected, by the link 64, to a lever 65 that is journaled at 66 to a lug 67 projecting from the front of the generating chamber 1. This lever carries a segment 68, the curved face of which, is concentric with the pivot 66, and which has a radius equal to the distance between said pivot and the forward end of the handle 18 when the latter is in its lower position; the lug 67 being, so located with respect to said handle as to cause the segment of the lever 65, and the segmental portion of the said handle to be in substantially the same plane. It maybe stated, also, that the radlus of the segmental portion of the valve handle is such as will cause its periphery to just escape one end of the segment 68 when the lever 65 is vertical. Therefore, the handle 18 can be' operated only when the lever 65 is in its extreme upper position, and the lever 65Ican be operated only when the handle 18 is in, its extreme lower position. It is obvious from this that the valve 19 cannot be opened for the p'urpose'of supplying water to the I generating chamber until thalever 65 has been elevated to operate the valve 50 and vent the apparatus.

If, through any cause, the pressure Within the apparatus becomes excessive and produces a condition which may be considered l dangerous, the diaphragm 39 will be ele- 1 vated to remove the valve 50 from its seat 52 and allow the excess gas to escape through the vent pipe-53, which leads to the exterior of the building. As previously pointed out, the vent valve may I be regulated to resist varying degreesof pressure through the adjustment of the spring 43, in actual practice,

the spring being adjusted to fifteen pounds mamas pressure, as required by insurance companics.

It is clear from what has been described, that the valve 50 is compelled to be removed from its seat prior to each operation of the filling valve.l9, whereby the former valve is kept in perfect working condition and is prevented from sticking or corroding,

by such frequent mechanical operations.

In case the diaphragm 39 becomes fractured, the gas which would thus escape into the upper portion of the casing would be led off through a branch pipe 130,.which joins the main vent pipe 53 at 131. The branch pipe has communication with the interior of the casing member 35 of through a 'nipple' 132.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1; The combination with apparatus of the character set forth, of a valve comprising a casing that is composed of two members, a diaphragm that is clamped between the adjacent edges thereof, one of said members having an internal hollow outlet extension the vent valve,

pies a plane substantially parallel to that v of the diaphragm, an abutment attached to and spaced from the opposite side of the diaphragm, a cam for coeperation with said abutment, a shaft'upon which said cam is mounted and which projects through and is journaled within the wall of the valve casing, means applied to said shaft whereby the same may be oscillated, and a spring for moving the diaphragm toward the valve seat.

2. The combination with apparatus of the character set forth, of a valve comprising a hollow casing that is composed of two members the adjacent ends of which are attached together, a diaphragm, the periphery of which is clamped between said members, one of said members having aninternal hollow outlet extension which terminates at its inner end in a valve seat, a valve member for.

cooperation therewith that is carried by the diaphragm, a yoke that is applied to the opposite side of the diaphragm, a spring for moving the diaphragm toward the valve seat, an eccentric within the yoke and arranged to engage the wall thereof thatis opposite the diaphragm, a shaft connected to said eccentric and extending through the side of the valve casing, and means appliedwhich is clamped between said members, one

of said members having an internal hollow outlet extension which terminates at its meaeea inner end in a valve seat, a valve member for cooperation therewith that is carried by the diaphragm, a yoke that is applied to the opposite side of the diaphragm and having a shank, a spring casing adjustably connected to the end of the valve casing, a spring interposed between the end of said spring casing and the aforesaid yoke and surrounding the shank thereof, an eccentric within the yoke and arranged to engage the wall -thereof that is opposite the diaphragm, a

shaft connected to said eccentric and extending through the side of thevalve casing, and means applied thereto whereby said eccentric may be rocked to move the diaphragm in a direction away from the valve seat.

4c. In apparatus of the-character set forth,

7 the combination of a hollow hermetically valve for controllingthe flow through the sealed casing that is composed of two members having their adjacent ends connected together, a diaphragm having its periphery clamped betweensaid members, thus dividing the easing into separate compartments,

a-vent pipe leading from each compartment,

commumcative connections between the apparatus and one of said compartments, a

vent pipe of the last mentioned compart ment, and operative connections between the diaphragm and said valve. 1 J

a 5. In a device of the character set forth,

the combination of a casing member having an inlet, an open side, and a tubular outlet extension which terminates in a valve seat that is in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said open side, a diaphragm closing the open side of the casing, a plate applied to the side of the diaphragm oppd site the valve seat, a second plate applied to the opposite side of the diaphragm, a pad of compressible material, a binder attached to the edge of the second plate between which and said edge the periphery of the pad is confined, a washer applied to the central part of the pad whereby only a portion of the pad is exposed for coiiperation with the valve seat, and means passing through and 'of said compartments having communicative connection with the interior of the apparatus and the other having communication with a vent conduit. 7

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN a ins.

Witnesses:

BRENNAN B. Wns'r, HUGH B. McGILL. 

